Xie Chi forcibly pulled her hand back and placed it at her abdomen.

He Feng continued standing with his hands half-inserted in his suit pockets, watching her impassively. Though not a word of explanation was exchanged, they understood each other perfectly.

Fujita Michi wrapped her arm around He Feng’s, her whole body seemingly boneless as she leaned against him. “I finally managed to drag Brother Ryuji from Nanking. I still prefer Shanghai. Stay here with me for a few more days.” She hugged He Feng with her left hand and tugged at Fujita Kiyono with her right. “Brother Kiyono, please help me persuade him. He won’t listen to me.”

Fujita Kiyono said, “Michi, Ryuji is very busy and doesn’t have much time to play with you. Don’t make a fuss.”

“Brother—” Fujita Michi let go of He Feng and grabbed onto Fujita Kiyono with both hands, humming and swaying. “I want to be with you all. We rarely get to see each other.” She suddenly pulled Xie Chi over. “Sister, please say something for me.”

Xie Chi felt awkward about speaking up and only smiled faintly.

Fujita Kiyono, worn down by his sister’s persistence, said to He Feng, “It’s rare for Michi to have a vacation and come over. If you’re not too busy recently, stay here a few more days to keep her company.”

He Feng’s gaze occasionally swept over Xie Chi as he smiled and agreed, “Alright.”

Fujita Michi was so happy she almost jumped up. “I begged him for so long, but Brother Kiyono’s words are still the most effective!”

Fujita Kiyono pressed down on her shoulder. “Michi, mind the occasion. So many people are watching.”

Fujita Michi stuck out her tongue. “I’m not afraid.”

Some men came over to greet them. Fujita Michi didn’t want to listen to their serious conversation and pulled Xie Chi to sit elsewhere.

While eating dessert, she looked at Xie Chi’s ears. “Your earrings are so beautiful.”

“If you like them, I’ll give them to you.”

“Then let’s exchange! I bought this pair with Brother Ryuji in Nanking a few days ago. This is the first time I’m wearing them.” As she spoke, she took off her own earrings.

The two women put on each other’s earrings. Xie Chi said, “They suit you well.”

Fujita Michi took out a small mirror from her bag. “I think so too.”

Xie Chi looked toward the men conversing in the distance.

He Feng seemed born for such occasions. He relaxed his shoulders, casually leaned against the table beside him, and chatted effortlessly with people from all walks of life.

Who could imagine this guy was once a bandit who ruled the mountains?

Fujita Michi kept talking to herself. After a while, she noticed Xie Chi staring intently at her brother. She smiled and tugged at Xie Chi. “I can tell you really like Brother Kiyono.”

Xie Chi withdrew her gaze and said casually, “He’s a very good person.”

“Of course! Brother is the best!”

He Feng glanced their way and curved his lips at Xie Chi. Fujita Michi happily waved at him. “I really like Ryuji too. I’ve liked him for many years. He’s truly the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.” Fujita Michi let go of her hand and sighed deeply. “But I really dislike his mother. When we get married in the future, we definitely can’t live together. I’ll go crazy.” Fujita Michi grabbed her hand. “Ah, you must not tell anyone about this.”

Marriage…

A surge of jealousy uncontrollably welled up. She forced herself to endure the discomfort and smiled in response. “Alright.”

Seeing the conversing men disperse, Fujita Michi immediately stood up. “I’m going to find him!”

She ran to He Feng, took his hand, said a few words with a bright smile, then pulled him toward the west side.

Fujita Kiyono sat beside Xie Chi. “What are you thinking about?”

Xie Chi took the wine he handed her. “Your sister is very cute.”

“She’s a bit too lively and talks too much. She’s just a child who never grew up. I hope you won’t find her annoying.”

“I won’t.”

Fujita Kiyono had just sat with her for a short while when someone came over and whispered something in his ear.

“I need to handle something. Wait here for me, I’ll be back shortly.”

“Go ahead.”

Fujita Kiyono followed that person upstairs.

Xie Chi took a sip of wine and scanned the entire banquet hall. She knew most of the people here. She put down her wine glass, walked around various areas, and finally wandered to the dessert section, where she overheard some traitorous wives chatting.

“My husband’s been away from home constantly—haven’t seen him for three days. Seems like there’s some batch of military supplies passing through Wusong Port, heading south, and he’s guarding it day and night. Business is still better—at least you mostly just deal with money. Now it’s terrible, constantly away from home. Yesterday he called saying he can’t come back until the day after tomorrow. The child keeps crying and fussing, asking every day when daddy’s coming home. The noise gives me such a headache, oh how annoying!”

“No line of work is easy. Everyone’s living with their head on the chopping block. Having one small life to eat and dress well is already good enough.”

“Exactly.” The speaking lady lowered her voice. “Leaning toward either side doesn’t please anyone. Mixing with the Japanese gets you called a traitor, leaning the other way gets you called a red capitalist. One wrong move and the whole family loses their heads. I think your husband has it good—dealing in antiques is both profitable and safe.”

They chattered back and forth, all of which Xie Chi heard clearly nearby. She wanted to catch more useful information when Fujita Kiyono suddenly put his arm around her waist.

Xie Chi stepped aside and smiled at him. “Finished with business?”

“Not busy, just a small matter.” Fujita Kiyono asked her, “Would you like to dance?”

“Sure.”

He led Xie Chi into the crowd, took her hand, embraced her waist, and gazed at her face. “You’re very happy today.”

Xie Chi looked up at him. “When am I not happy?”

“Today is different.”

Suddenly, Fujita Michi’s laughter came from beside them. Xie Chi glanced over and saw her holding a piece of dessert, trying to feed He Feng, who pushed her hand away.

She turned with Fujita Kiyono and didn’t look further.

Xie Chi’s red dress was self-made, having stayed up almost all night the night before. The fitted bodice perfectly showed off her graceful figure, while the slightly flared skirt fell like an umbrella. When she moved, it was like rolling waves of blood, particularly eye-catching in the crowd.

He Feng leaned against the table. Though Fujita Michi’s chatter filled his ears, he still watched her single-mindedly, ignoring all other sounds in the world, his mind filled with images of her smiling in another man’s arms.

He was intensely jealous and wanted to chop off that hand on her waist.

So frustrating.

He Feng gulped down some wine.

As the two swayed lightly in the dance floor, Fujita Kiyono suddenly leaned close to her ear. “My brother-in-law keeps staring at you.”

Xie Chi looked toward He Feng and their gazes collided. She turned back to look at Fujita Kiyono and smiled. “Then you’d better tell your sister to keep an eye on him.”

Fujita Kiyono looked at her tenderly. “You’re mine. Everyone here, including him, only dares to look a couple more times but wouldn’t dare covet you.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course.” Fujita Kiyono looked into her eyes, which held an unusual tenderness. Somewhat mesmerized, he lowered his face to kiss her. Xie Chi immediately let go and dodged to the right, smiling. “I need to use the restroom.”

Fujita Kiyono smiled awkwardly. “Alright, go ahead.”

Xie Chi rubbed her hands before entering the stall inside. She sat on the toilet seat, recalling the look in He Feng’s eyes when he watched her—that turbulent storm only she could perceive.

Just as she was thinking, someone knocked on her door.

“Occupied.”

The sound outside stopped. Thud—then came movement from overhead.

When Xie Chi looked up, that dark shadow had already pressed down overwhelmingly.

She immediately stood up, looking at He Feng who had landed in front of her.

The cramped space forced them to press almost against each other.

He Feng said nothing. One hand pressed against her lower back, the other gripped the back of her neck as he frantically devoured her red lips.

Xie Chi went weak all over from his kiss. When they parted, seeing his reddened mouth covered with her lipstick, she couldn’t help but find it amusing. Just as she bared her teeth, He Feng blocked her mouth with his finger.

Xie Chi pulled down his hand and took out a silk handkerchief from her small bag to wipe the lipstick from his lips.

They both fell silent by mutual agreement, expressing all their words of longing through actions and gazes alone.

Someone entered the adjacent stall, and the sound of flowing water came through.

Xie Chi bumped his collarbone with her forehead and laughed silently.

He Feng gripped her hair and pulled it back, exposing her face. He pinched her mouth and twisted it, then lowered his head for a quick, light kiss.

Xie Chi wrapped her arms around his neck and responded with a lingering long kiss.

After a long while, they reluctantly released each other.

He Feng saw Fujita Michi’s earrings on her ears. He carefully removed them, crushed them forcefully, and threw them into the toilet.

The woman next door left.

Xie Chi took out her lipstick and wrote an address on the silk handkerchief. He Feng glanced at it once and nodded.

She then threw the handkerchief into the toilet and flushed it away along with the earrings.

The two looked at each other for a moment, both reluctant to leave.

He Feng pinched her straps and pulled them up, his brow furrowing slightly in extreme displeasure. Xie Chi covered his hand, stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to his ear, and asked in a lowered voice: “Does it look good?”

The warm breath spread across his face. He Feng held her tighter, buried his face in her neck, and greedily inhaled. If they were anywhere else, this thin fabric would have been torn to shreds long ago.

Time was running out. Xie Chi pushed He Feng away, straightened his white shirt, and gestured that she would leave first.

She opened the door and was about to leave when he pulled her back.

He Feng picked up her bag, found her lipstick inside, lifted her chin with his finger, and carefully applied it to her lips. Finally, he gently kissed her forehead before leaving first.

Xie Chi waited a few seconds inside before coming out. She stood in front of the mirror looking at her lips and smiled as she pressed them together twice. This rough man was quite meticulous when applying lipstick.

She fixed her hair, washed her hands again, and then walked out of the restroom.

Fujita Michi was playing piano, and everyone was very supportive, listening quietly.

Fujita Kiyono and He Feng stood side by side with their backs against the wall. Xie Chi walked toward them and stood beside Fujita Kiyono. He naturally took her cold hand and leaned over to whisper, “While you were away, many people complimented me on how beautiful you are.”

Xie Chi said indifferently, “Good taste.”

“Kiyono.” A cold voice came from the side. “Come out with me for a moment.”

Fujita Kiyono looked at He Feng. “What’s wrong?”

He Feng didn’t answer, lit a cigarette, and walked ahead.

Fujita Kiyono let go of Xie Chi. “I’ll step out for a moment.”

“Go ahead.”

…

The two men didn’t return until near the end of the banquet.

Fujita Michi dragged Xie Chi around chatting about Japanese affairs all evening, giving her a headache.

Fujita Kiyono drove Xie Chi home. He had always been very respectful toward Xie Chi, rarely making any presumptuous moves. Even for a hug, he would ask for her consent first.

After he left, Xie Chi waited in the house.

She didn’t lock the door. Maybe He Feng would come through the door, or maybe like before, he would climb in through the window.

Every slight sound from downstairs made her heart churn.

Over and over again all night, He Feng didn’t appear.

Near dawn, Xie Chi still hadn’t slept and inevitably thought random thoughts.

Maybe he had something urgent and couldn’t get away.

Or maybe he and Fujita Michi…

Thinking of this, she felt uncontrollably jealous, as if soaking in a vat of vinegar, sour from inside to out. It was too uncomfortable.

…

After dozing fitfully for half the morning, Fujita Kiyono came to pick her up for lunch. His dear sister and He Feng came along too.

Xie Chi didn’t look well and reluctantly applied makeup to cover some of the unsightliness from staying up all night.

He Feng and Fujita Michi were already waiting in the private room.

Xie Chi followed Fujita Kiyono in and sat down as the waiters served dishes one by one.

At the dining table, two had their own concerns while two enjoyed themselves.

Midway through, Fujita Kiyono stepped out. Xie Chi was in a bad mood and had only said two sentences since sitting down. He Feng suddenly asked her in Chinese: “Not to your taste?”

“No.” She looked up at He Feng across from her, her tone flat. “Too much to my taste.”

“Didn’t sleep well last night?”

“…Slept very well.”

“I didn’t sleep well last night.”

Xie Chi suddenly felt somewhat angry.

Fujita Michi pushed He Feng. “Brother Ryuji, don’t speak Chinese. I can’t understand.”

He Feng glanced at her sideways and said unceremoniously, “Then eat more.”

Fujita Michi pouted. “No, I want to chat with you all.”

Fujita Kiyono returned to the private room. “What are you talking about?”

“Brother Kiyono, I’ve decided to learn some Chinese too.”

Fujita Kiyono was somewhat surprised. “My sister actually wants to study.”

Fujita Michi pursed her lips. “You all can speak it, but I can only understand ‘thank you’ and ‘hello.'”

The siblings bantered back and forth. Xie Chi didn’t want to hear any of it and kept her head down eating. Suddenly, something under the table stepped on her foot. Xie Chi glanced up at He Feng, who acted as if nothing had happened. She tried to pull back, but he trapped her foot tightly between both his feet, making escape impossible.

Xie Chi was still displeased about last night’s missed appointment. She kicked him hard with her other foot.

Thud—hitting the table.

Both siblings looked at them simultaneously.

“What happened?”

The limbs under the table immediately behaved.

He Feng calmly drank some soup. “Nothing, leg cramp. Accidentally bumped it.”

Xie Chi deliberately served Fujita Kiyono a piece of sweet and sour pork, saying intimately, “Eat more.”

“Thank you.”

Fujita Michi bit her chopsticks and smiled. “Brother Ryuji, look how loving they are.”

He Feng stared at Xie Chi and sneered. “Mm, true love indeed.”

…